Acetylene-gas generator



No. 625,697. Patented ma -23,1899

J. w. POWERS.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOB.

(Apphcatmn filed Mar 6 1899) 3 Shasta-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

lNVENTDF! VWTN E5555 Patentad' May 23, I899.

.1; w. POWERS. ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR- (Application fllgd Mar. 6, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Shoat 2.

Illlilllillllllllllllllll (No Model.)

lNVENTElFI THE NDRRIS Pawns ca. PHOTO-LITHON WASHKNGTQN, n c.

No. 625,697. Patented May 23, I899.

.1. w. POWERS. v -AGETYLENE'. GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Mar; 6, 1899) w v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(n5 Modal.)

lNVENTUH WITNESSES w: NORRXS PETERS cav wovoLm-m, wAsmnm'on, n, c.

- for.

JAY W'. POWERS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GLOBE PATENT OFFICE.

ACETYLENE GAS COMPANY, OF MINNESOTA.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,697, dated May 23, 1899. Application filed March 6, 1899- Serial No- 707,937. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AY W. POWERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gras-Generating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the production of acetylene gas, and has for its objects, first, the production of a device for generating gas wherein the generator is separable from its accompanying gas-holder for the purpose of cleansing and recharging it second, the production of a device for generating gas wherein the generator, the gas-holder, and the connecting gas-conduit are all water-sealed beyond the possibility of leakage, and, third, the production of a device for generating gas wherein the gas is shut ofi between the generator and the gas-holder and an escape-pipe leading to the open air is opened by the act of disconnecting the generator from the gasholder, thereby preventing an escape of gas from the generator or the gas-holder, but allowing the gas in the conduit between the generator and the cut-off to escape, thus avoiding the odors of gas in the room. These obj ects I attain through the use of the device herein shown and hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my device; Fig. 2, a top view thereof; Fig. 8, a section of Fig. 2, taken on the line 3 3 Fig. 4:, a section of Fig. 1, taken on the line 4 4:; and Fig. 5 is a section of Fig; 2, taken on the line 5 5.

Similar letters refer to similar parts.

A is the generator; B, the gas-holder; O, the gas-conduit; D, the escape-pipe, and E the cut-off.

The generator A consists of two principal parts-viz., a tank portion and a cover there The tank portion A is fashioned with a double circumferential wall, thus dividing it vertically into a central chamber or, adapted to receive calcium carbid, from which acetylene gas is made, and an annular chamber 1), adapted to hold water for sealing its cover. The cover A is fashioned with a single circumferential wall 0, adapted to enter the annular chamber 1) of the tank portion A,

wherein it is water-sealed. Affixed in thissection and curved outward or from the gasholder B, as shown. This fine dis fashioned with double walls, thus dividing it vertically into an inner chamber 6, adapted to receive the outer (ingress) end of the gas-conduit O, and an outer chamber f, adapted to hold 'waterfor sealin g the same. The inner cham ber e is open at its upper end to receive the said conduit 0, while its lower end is closed by an upwardly-closing valve 9. The outer chamber f is open at its upper end and closed at its lower end.

The gas holder B consists of two principal partsviz., a tank portion adapted to hold water and a bell floating therein. The tank portion 13 is not unlike those commonly used in expansible gas-holders. The bell 13 is fashioned with a double circumferential. wall, the inner one being somewhat shorter than the outer one, thus dividing it vertically into aninner chamber h, adapted to receive the gas, and an outer chamber 2', adapted to serve as an emergency-chamber. No gas enters this outer chamber i save as an overflow from the inner chamber h. When by an overcharge of gas the bell B is lifted until its inner circumferential wall shall have raised above the water-level in the tank B, a portion of the gas stored in the inner chamber hwill escape into the outer chamber i, from which it will escape to the open air through the emergencypipe is, leading from the upper portion thereof to the cut-0E E, (the three-way cock,) and the escape-pipe D, leading from the cut-off E to the open air.

Affixed to the outer circumferential wall of the gas-holder tank 13 is the cage of a threeway cock, (the cut-off E,) from which extends the ingress-pipe j, leading to the inner chamber h, the emergency-pipe is, leading to the outer chamber 71 of the bell B and theescapepipe D, leading to the open air.

The exit end of the gas-conduit O is affixed in the key E of the three-way cock E and serves as a lever therefor, while its ingress end is downwardly turned to enter the inner chamber 6 of the flue d. Affixed to the downwardly-turned ingress end of this conduit 0 is a depending sleeve Z, adapted to enter the outer chamber f of the flue d, where it is water-sealed. Into this conduit 0 is affixed a looped water-pipe m, which serves in part to convey Water from the gas-holder B to the generatorAforgas-makingpurposes. Adrippipe n is pivotally affixed to the outer circumferential wall of the gas-holder tank B and serves (in connection with the looped water-pipe m) to convey water to the generator A. Its operation is controlled by the action of the bell B of the gas-holderB, to which it' is connected by means of the cord or chain 0. The service-pipes p 19 extend from the upper portion of the inner chamber h downward to near thelower portion of the tank B',thence outward through its circumferential side, and thence to the burners.

I operate my device as follows: First, I charge my generator with calcium carbid, de-

positing the same in the central chamber a,

or, if deemed preferable, I fill a pail with the calcium carbid and place it in the central chamber a; second, I put the cover A in place by lowering its depending wall cinto the annular chamber 1) of the tank portion A, where I water-seal it; third, I depress the swinging gas-conduit G, when its downwardly-turned ingress end will enter the inner chamber 6 of the flue d anddepress the valve 9 at the lower end thereof by compressing its spring g, its sleeve [meanwhile entering the outer chamber f of the flue d, where it is water-sealed; fourth, I pour water into the looped waterpipe m, first filling its loop, after which it will overflow through the downwardly-turned ingress end of the conduit 0 into the central chamber a, of the generator A, saturate the calcium carbid therein, and eliminate acetylene gas therefrom, which, as it accumulates, will flow past the valve 9, through the conduit O, and into the central chamber h, from which it flows to the burners through the pipes 19. Now as the gas accumulates in the central chamber h it will lift the bell B which in turn (through the operation of the cord or chain 0) will raise the outer (discharge) end of the drip-pipe 11 above the water-level in the gas-holder tank B, from which it draws its supply, thereby checking the flow of water therefrom and suspending the generating of gas. Then when the gas so generated and stored is being exhausted at the burners the bell B will slowly fall and (through the operation of the cord or chain 0) will carry the outer (discharge) end of the drip-pipe n below the water-level in the gas-holder tank B, thereby letting more water flow therefrom into the looped water-pipe m through the downwardly-turned portion of the conduit G into the central chamber a, of the generator 'A and saturate the calcium carbid therein,

when the above-described operation will be repeated until all of the calcium carbid shall have been saturated and all of the gas therein shall have been set free.

I remove, cleanse, and recharge my generator by raising the swinging gas conduit C to the position shown by the dotted lines, (see Fig. 1,) thereby shutting off communication between the generator A and the gas-holder 'B, and by the same act I open communication between the said generator A and the escape-pipe D, thereby letting the gas in the conduit Ov between the generator A and the cut-0E E escape. Now as the gas-conduit O is withdrawn from the flue d the valve 9 will be closed by the reflex action of its spring g, thereby closing the generator A and rendering it odorless.

It will be seen that the looped water-pipe m, owing to its peculiar configuratiomis at all times gas-tight, and that the water can only be discharged therefrom as an overflow from its sealing-chamber, (its loop.) Hence the declared purposes of my invention are attained.

The emergency-pipe it serves to relieve the gas-holder B of any overcharge of gas, for when the lower end of the inner circumferential wall of the bell B shall have raised above the water-level in the gas-holder tank B the imprisoned gas in the inner chamber hthereof will escape into the outer (emergency) chamber i, with which it communicates.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a device for generating and storing acetylene gas, the combination with an expansible gas-holder of a generator-tank, a cover water-sealed therein, an adjustable gas conduit affixed to the said gas-holder, extendi ble to and water-sealed in the said watersealed cover, a drip-pipe pivotally affixed to the said gas-holder, and extendible to the said generator, and means for causing an intermittent flow of water from the said gas-holder to the said generator, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a device for generating and storing acetylene gas, the combination with the expansible gas-holder, of a generator-tank, a water-sealed cover thereon, a Valve-protected flue therein, and means for water-sealing a pipe therewith; a jointed gas-conduit sealed in said cover and extending to said gas-holder a cut-off in said gas-conduit; a looped pipe for supplying the said generator with water; and means for controlling the flow of water from the said gas-holder to the said generator by the rise and fall of the gasometer-bell, substantially as shown and described.

In a device for generating and storing acetylene gas, the combination with an expansible gas-holder, of a water-sealed generator 5 a conduit pivotally affixed to the said gas-holder, extendible to and water-sealed with the said generator, and means for intermittently transferring water from the said gas-holder to the said generator, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a device for generating and storing acetylene gas, the combination with an expansible gas-holder and water-sealed generator, of a gas-conduit affixed to the said gasholder, extendible to and water-sealed with the said generator.

5. In a device for generating and storing acetylene gas, the combination with a gasholder and a generator, of a gas-conduit affixed to said gas-holder, extendible to and Water-sealed with the said generator, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a device for generating andstoring acetylene gas, the combination with an expansible gas-holder having an emergencychamber therein, of a water-sealed generator; a conduit pivotally affixed to the said gasholder, extendible to and Water-sealed with the said generator, means for intermittently transferring water from the said gas-holder to the said generator, and an escape-pipe leading from said emergency-chamber, substantially as shown and described.

JAY W. POWERS. WVitnesses:

H. M. FARNAM, G. E. SMITH. 

